Ball game with rotating ball projection means



Aug. 31, 1965 c. PEARSON, JR 3,203,699

BALL GAME] WITH ROTATING BALL PROJECTION MEANS Filed Aug. 29, 1962 J6 M J4 .52

. Z0 ZZ 1 i \52 Z0 i Z2 mum 6g 32 6g 2:12 55 06% United States Patent 3,203,699 BALL GAME WITH ROTATING BALL PROJECTION MEANS Charles Pearson, .lr., 396 Huntington Lane, Elmhurst, Ill. Filed Aug. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 220,234 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-119) This invention relates to an amusement device or game.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an amusement device or game which requires skill in the playing thereof and which is highly entertaining.

Another object of this invention is to provide an amusement device or game which utilizes a rotating or spinning member operated by electrical means, which operation is under the control of the player and which causes a marble or other ball-shaped object to be spun and to be caused to move or travel in various paths determined by the speed and/ or start and stop motion of the rotating member, with the purpose of causing the marble or ball to ultimately lodge in a prescribed area designated for same.

Another object of this invention is to provide an amusement device or game in which the scoring is determined by the skill of the player.

Another object of this invention is to provide a very simple and inexpensive device which afiords a high degree of amusement and play value.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the amusement device forming this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on lines 3-3 of FIG. Q.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the switch member taken on lines 44 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the trough taken on lines 55 of FIG. 2.

The amusement device or game in the embodiment shown includes the play section generally designated at 8, comprising a housing generally designated at 10, which has a base or bottom member 12 formed of cardboard or the like. The upper portion of the housing generally designated by the numeral 14 is adapted to be secured to said base or bottom by suitable fastening means. Said upper portion 14 is of the configuration best shown in FIG. 3 and comprises an outer annular side wall 16 which inclines or slopes inwardly from the bottom upwardly. The member 14 has a top annular surface 18 extending inwardly of the outer annular wall 16, and the top surface 18 is provided with an annular channel or trough generally designated at 20. Sloping inwardly and downwardly from the trough 20 is an annular inner top wall 22 which terminates in a central inner annular well or annular recessed portion 24 centrally of the upper portion of the housing.

A dish-shaped spinning member or rotating disc 26 is supported so as to be rotatable within the central well or recessed portion 24. The dish-shaped spinning member or rotating disc 26 has a hub 28 which is secured to the shaft 30 of a small battery operated motor 32. The motor 32 is supported on the base 12 and is suitably fastened thereto by fastening elements. A portion of the motor 32 extends through an opening 34 in the wall of the recessed portion 24. Rotation of the motor 32 will rotate or spin the rotor disc 26.

The annular periphery of the rotor disc 26 is adjacent the inner circumferential edge 36 of the annular wall 22 and is spaced just suflicient for clearance of the rotating 3,203,693 Patented Aug. 31, 1965 ice disc 26. The disc 26 is concavely shaped and provides a curvature with the annular wall 22 to facilitate the free travel or movement of the marble from the rotating disc 26 to the annular wall 22. The annular channel or annular trough 20 is divided into a plurality of arcuateshaped trough sections 38 by vertical dividers 40. The upper portion of the housing 14 may be molded of plastic and may be integrally formed.

The motor 32 is connected to a small dry cell battery 42 which is suitably secured in a battery housing 43 supported on the base or bottom 12 within the housing. The battery is connected in circuit to the motor 32 and to a hand held switch member generally indicated at 44. The switch member is manually operated for opening and closing the circuit to operate said motor to spin the rotor 26. The switch member 44 includes an elongated rectangular-shaped casing 46 provided with an annular head 48 perpendicular to the axis of the casing. A spring metal electrical conducting or contact element 50 of generally V-shaped configuration at its contact end is anchored as at 52 to the switch housing. A stationary electrical conducting contact strip 54 is secured to the switch housing adjacent and in spaced relation to the outer leg of the conducting element 50.

Secured in an opening 55 in the wall of the head 48 is a manually depressible button 56 which engages the V-shaped spring element 50 and which extends outwardly of the top of the head. A flange 57 on the button limits the outward movement of the button 56. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the battery 42 is connected to the motor 32 by conducting wire 58 which connects to the battery terminal 59. Conducting wire 60 connects the contact element 54 of the switch to the battery terminal 62. Conducting wire 64 connects the switch contact 50 to the motor 32.

Normally the movable switch contact member 50 is out of engagement with the stationary strip 54 so that the circuit from the battery 42 to the motor 32 is open and hence the motor remains inoperative. Upon manual depression of the button 56, the switch contact member 50 makes contact with the stationary contact 54, closing the circuit to the motor 32 and operating the motor to thereby rotate the rotatable or spinning disc 26. Releasing the button will open the circuit and stop rotation of the disc 26. The hand-held switch member 44 is a separate element from the play section 8 so that it may be held in the hand by a player who is positioned a short distance from the play section and may be moved in relation to the play section.

One manner of playing the game could be as follows. The sectional or arcuate-shaped troughs 38, diametrically opposite each other, are given the same color and/ or the same game values. Thus, for example, there are eight trough sections and the diametrically opposite trough sections, such as A and A are colored green; the diametrically opposite trough sections B and B are colored red; the diametrically opposite trough sections C and C are colored blue, and the diametrically opposite trough sections D and D are colored white. In playing the game, eight marbles or small balls may be used. Two of each of the balls or marbles are of the same color, as each of the aforementioned troughs. Each marble or ball M is positioned on the disc 26 when same is stationary and each marble is played individually.

By depressing the switch button 56, the circuit is closed and the motor operates to spin the disc 26. The marble or ball on the disc will be caused to spin outwardly and ride up the inclined wall surface 22. As the rotating disc 26 continues to rotate, the marble or ball will move up the wall 22 and down said wall and across the rotating disc 26 and up and down the opposite side of the Wall surface 22, in a generally elliptical path, in the manner indicated in arrowed lines in FIG. 2. The purpose of the game is to cause the marble or ball to move in a path so that it will ultimately move towards and roll into the trough section 38 which is of a color similar to the color of the marble. For example, the player playing the green marble should operate to spin the disc 26 so that the marble will ultimately roll into either of the green trough sections A. Each player will attempt to get his colored marble in the appropriate colored trough. However, since there are two marbles of the same color, the second marble of the identical color should not be discharged into the trough which has the first marble, but should be discharged into the other identical unoccupied colored trough. No two identically colored marbles should be discharged into the same trough. Scoring values can be given to each trough section, and marbles discharged into the wrong trough sections by a player are considered as errors and numerical values can be subtracted from that players score.

The skill in playing the game is in the timing and movement of the marble in its relation to the spinning of the rotor 26, and includes the starting, stopping and length of spin of the rotor disc 26 and the specific position of the marble in relation thereto. The path of travel of the marble from the rotating disc 26 and across the inclined wall 22, back and forth and into the proper trough is controlled by the foregoing factors and requires a great deal of skill and practice to attain the objective. Various paths of travel of the marble, ditferent from that illustrated, is attained by difiFerent timing of the starting, stopping, and length of rotation of the rotor disc 26. This game is one of skill and not of chance.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

An amusement device comprising a play section having a plurality of arcuate shaped troughs, a ball, an inwardly downwardly sloping annular wall inwardly of said trough, an inwardly concave rotatable member centrally positioned inwardly of said downwardly sloping annular wall, the periphery of said rotatable member having a surface substantially flush with the adjacent sloping annular wall to permit a ball to roll across the top surface of the rotatable member, said ball member being positioned on said rotatable member and adapted to be propelled by the rotation of said rotatable member to roll over the top of said rotatable member and onto said sloping annular wall and into an arcuate shaped trough, and means to intermittently rotate said rotatable member for controlling the path and direction of travel of said ball across the top of said rotatable member and into said trough so that as the ball rolls over the rotatable member and said annular wall it moves in an elliptical path.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 309,790 12/84 Lunger 200159 728,327 5/03 Tanron 273-119 2,872,193 2/59 Hamilton 273-119 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

JOHN M. HORAN, Examiner. 

